The Second Child.

Being a second child I copied every single thing my older sister -Nour- did or said. It drove my parents crazy but they told me that Nour was peaceful and it didn't bother her most of the time.

When number three came -Rana-, I drove my parents crazier with my extra jealousy :) I wish I have the picture of me and Rana while I'm holding her in her crib with her pacifier in my mouth, she was crying and my laugh was evil :) Poor Rana!

Mariyah is waiting for a new baby's arrival, just like us.

I wonder,
Will the second baby be strong enough to stand against Mariyah's jealousy?...
will the second baby be more misschievous?
How much can I handle?!

When I was pregnant with Mariyah, Jeeej used to take pictures of me every single week. This pregnancy I am the one who takes pictures of me and only when I feel like it.

I feel that the second baby's rights are being ignored. The picture above proves it, she didn't allow me to take one good picture of myself, she was even wearing my top.

I'm almost 21 weeks now,
Excitement is so big, but expectations are experienced before. Especially that I'm going through the same exact stages I've been through, year 2008.

The only thing that I'm working hard on is not knowing the gender.
I really want to make myself believe that this pregnancy is different and special too!

Max The Monkey.

A few weeks ago, my cousin, a mother of four brilliant kids called me from Chicago. I love talking to her about issues regarding my Mariyah. I was telling her how much she loves to read and how we love going to the library together. She said that her husband takes her kids on weekend nights for a storytelling at the near by library, her kids enjoy it and she gets to relax at home all by herself.

And then she told me about Brain Quest. It is a series of educational flashcards collected together in decks. Each flash card has drawings and questions.

The first group is for toddlers ages 2-3

About a monkey who's named Max.

Max enjoys his day right after waking up.

He has a lot of things to do and a lot of places to visit during the day.

My cousin told me that her kids enjoy their cards especially her little daughter -number 3-. It's a fun time for her and her mom, reading the words and answering questions.

I couldn't wait for the sun to come up the next morning to go get Brain Quest for Mariyah.

Mariyah is not even 2 years old yet but she loves Max -she calls him -Wax-!

He actually enjoys all the things she enjoys! They have so much in common...

The fact that he has a car seat with a belt,

That he likes to go to the park and swing,

to the pet store,

That he enjoys grocery shopping and likes to go to the farmer's market,

That he likes to wear his nice clothes and enjoys brushing his teeth.

She likes the fact that he has a fish and a bird too -KiKi-...

That he enjoys taking a bath playing with his duck.

It's one of her best educational "books" so far.

I called my cousin to thank her later on...and then I asked:

"I wonder, what will she think later on when she discovers that her baba's real name is Max"?!

Or -Wax- ;)

Pills vs. Food

When I had a midwife while pregnant with Mariyah, she asked me about the kind of prenatal pills I am taking. I showed her these 10 pills that I take religiously every single night.
She asked for the box so she could read the labels. She was impressed. She said: "If you take these pills you don't need to eat during the day AT ALL".

I told her that my father in law, "Dr. Feel Good" orders them for me online and sends me the boxes every few months.

I kept taking the pills even after I gave birth, until I stopped nursing Mariyah.

Now with this pregnancy, I take the same kind "Designs for health" every single night :)
It takes a lot of time and plenty of water to swallow all 10 pills but it's worth it.
They are all natural and that's what I love about them, of course,

Sometimes, while having a meal, I think to myself, "should I stop eating? I am taking great pills. I don't need to finish my plate!".
But no, I always finish my plate and then get full and then gain weight and then I feel good :)

This pregnancy is adding more pounds to my system, it's not even funny.
Right now I enjoy eating and all but I'm scared about the weight loss process after giving birth.

Ya Rub :)

More Patience.

Tonight we accepted our friends' invitation for dinner. We had a great mansaf and some really good knafeh.
2 more couples were invited and their kids were there too. Mariyah was sleeping at home. I can't enjoy time if I take her with me, it's hard to have her play with other kids when she's too tired and sleepy.

I was watching the mothers feeding their kids. Getting mad at them messing around while eating. cleaning up their mouths and hands every once in a while.
I found myself saying: This kind of mess should only take place at home...

A mother said: no way, not even at home! this is not allowed.

I am a totally different kind of a mother. I let Mariyah mess around while eating and actually enjoy it too. She loves eating pasta with tomato sauce by herself. Rice and yogurt too. She eats the fruits chuncks by herself too, using a fork and sometimes using her own fingers. I never cared about the mess around her, When I clean her high chair, I clean the floor underneath and the wall behind. It takes less than 10 min and that's it. When my friends see me enjoying her mess they can't believe their eyes.

A lady today said to me: You have a lot of patience.

I think I do, but not as much when it comes to other issues...It's just that I enjoy it when I see her exploring the world around, building confidence and becoming independent.

Then I thought to myself: "These ladies should come and see how I gave Mariyah a brush full of red paint and asked her to help me paint the new addition in her room.

She painted the middle drawers with me and then she painted her shirt and her face!

Most importantly, we painted our day with love and laughter and had so much fun while baba Jeeej was napping, trying to rest his eyes after the surgery he had on Thursday :)

Jeeej Becoming Jordanian...

Last week, My friend forwarded an e mail to me. I only open her forwarded e mails, because most of them are funny.

One was about a typical Jordanian guy on his first day after getting married. I wish I still have the exact e mail but I don't. So this guy was spoiling his wife in the early morning...preparing her breakfast and delivering it to their bedroom and then washing her hands while still in bed and then making a cup of coffee for her and serve it to her...and then he simply said:

"Did you just see what I did to you? I want you to do the same to me EVERY SINGLE MORNING, or else you are divorced'! lol

Anyways, one day after, Jeeej came back home, worked on his eBay a little and then asked me:
- "would you like to watch a short movie with me? about my eye surgery next week?"

- I said: "NO way"!

- "Well, it's not about THE surgery, it's about the recovering. it's really short, won't take time!"

We watched...it turned out that recovery after eye laser surgery takes up to 2 months. Well, the patient can see right after the surgery but still he needs to be careful and not rub the eyes for a while and stuff.

So right after we watched, he asked: "will you be able to take care of me? It might hurt a lot, especially on the third day!"

-Of course I will :)

The day after I told the same friend about the movie and what Jeeej had to say and she started laughing saying that Jeeej is becoming a typical Jordanian guy!! Just like the one mentioned in the e mail!!

OH MY GOD :(

---------------------------------------

He had the surgery today, he was asked to sleep for 4 hours right after it takes place...

I haven't seen him since the morning...it's almost 10 pm right now...I have to wake him up soon, so he could take his medicine.

I didn't see him because I was busy giving classes, his mom took him to the doctor and picked him up :p

Am I keeping my promise?

"The one about taking good care of him"?!

The coming days will be the judge.

;p

KrapRoom

We -HE- do not celebrate Valentine's day...

But yesterday I made sure I cook Red Kabseh -using red bell peppers...with the hot red sauce.

And tonight he made sure we watch Valentine's day movie.

Love Is All Year Round :)

* KrapRoom, is from the movie.
** There are many ways to spoil the movie. I should start a new blog and name it "Movie Spoiler".

Andrea Bocelli's Lullaby To Elmo...A must see/hear!

I saw/heard this lullaby on a facebook page last night...
I have probably heard it at least 15 times today...

I never wanted my baby to be attached to a cartoon character, but I couldn't help it this time! I loved Elmo trying to fall asleep, I loved the words about friends and singing and the park...

I loved the music.




Simply Beautiful!

Mariyah is sleeping...I heard the lullaby and I missed her...I feel like holding her tight right about now!! :)

Obese R Us

My brother in law posted this photo on his fb page and I stole it for my blog...

This was his caption:

"Sadly I cannot take credit for this stroke of genius, but I agree with it 100%. And as much as I would like to direct all of my hatred and disgust towards this multi-million dollar corporation, the real culprit is us... and that's what makes this so f***ing sad".

I -5 senses- YOU!

Do you need your 5 senses to fall in love with someone?!
I asked myself this question after I saw my doctor last week.

She was trying to schedule another ultra sound appointment for me to see my baby to come. I told her that one was enough, that I'm fine...I don't need to see the baby again.

She was surprised: "Don't you want to make sure your baby has 2 legs and 2 arms? Don't you want to know if the baby is a boy or a girl?"

"What if the baby doesn't look right? Will I ask for an abortion? No way!. I'm already in love with this baby, and I am enjoying my pregnancy...and I don't want any "bad" news to ruin my excitement!".

At the end, she said: " You are the mother, it's your decision...and don't worry, no matter what you decide, no one will think less of you!!".

Thank You!

~~~Hearing the heartbeats is more than enough for me right now :)

Then I remembered how I loved Mariyah once I heard her heart beats...and then fell madly in love with her once she started kicking inside...and then couldn't believe my eyes when I first felt her and smelled her...and how delicious she is :)

Then I remembered how I fell in love with Jeeej, online. How I loved hearing his voice and then seeing his picture made me fall in love. Deeper.
and then we met, in person...His smell and his touches made me GO CRAZY!

This baby...I heard the heartbeats:)
I saw on the screen...and these days I feel the tickling inside...
and I am ALREADY in love!

I wonder how it will be like once I feel, smell and taste the baby!

I trust my senses...each one separately and I thank Allah SWT for being so lucky, I have 5 senses working perfectly...

Perfect enough to make me fall in love!

Both My car & Myself need this

My first car, enjoyed a beautiful plate...I was so excited about it.

When I got a new car last year, I wanted to transfer the same plate to it...but

it never happened...

My current car, for a whole year today still has NO PLATE!

I don't care...

I mean I didn't care until I saw this plate...
I want this plate so bad,,,it's NOT EVEN FUNNY!

* I took this picture at Bubba Gump restaurant in Monterey...a whole post about that rest. will be posted soon :)

The Step.

A dear friend of mine got married last year. When I went to Amman last summer I visited her new home. A tiny apartment. The smallest I've ever seen in Amman.
At the same time, it was full of life, colors, love and books!
You could see and feel her touches where ever you look. The couple made sure not to waste any space, they need every single corner and spot. And what a great job they've done!

She asked me about my new home...how it looks like and what's special about it. I promised her I'd send her pictures of my house.
Oh, how I wish my family and friends could come over and visit, and see where I live! Not a fancy place, but a place that I love!

Last week, I sent her pictures, of all the rooms, plus the bathroom!
A colorful bathroom.
It has to be colorful because Mariyah spends a lot of time there, minding her own business while reading her books: " The beauty and the beast" & "If you give a mouse a cookie"

The most colorful part in the bathroom is her step!

I bought the white one from Target. It was the cheapest because it's white. I painted little flowers on it in front of her so she would love it and love using it to wash her hands whenever she uses the bathroom.

She calls it "UP".

Looking like herself.

Everyone here USED to say that she looks like me...

A copy of me...

Not any more!

Now they say she is starting to look like herself!

Both my parents still believe...
and insist that she still ...

Looks like ME :)

Especially the way she laughs.

haha

Daddy momenT. Proud?

Jeeej's hair brush looks like this:

My hair brush looks like this:
Mariyah's hair brush looks like this:

Different Brushes, right?!

In the morning, Jeeej's mind was busy thinking about the errands he had to do during the day...

Take both cars to service.

Go to Friday prayer.

Meet the Taxes guy.

Go shopping for his eBay business.

Cook dinner :)))

And also, he was trying to call his dad letting him know about our plan of spending this weekend in Auburn with the family...

So, he was simply BUSY thinking!

*Jeeej NEVER used my hair brush -as far as I know- because he doesn't like to! He simply loves his.

While being busy thinking this morning...he was brushing his hair in the bathroom.

Mariyah was walking towards the bathroom to watch Baba Jeeej getting ready for the long day ahead,,,

On her way, she saw him brushing his hair with HER OWN PINK HAIR BRUSH! she started YELLING:

Haza la wariyaaaaaaaaaaaah :@#$@$@!$^Y&$ -THIS IS FOR MARIYAAAAAH-!!!

He couldn't believe his eyes! or ears...

He didn't know he was using her PINK brush! lol

I couldn't resist posting this...

It made my laugh so hard this morning :)

it turns out that I'm not the only parent at our house who goes crazy during the day ;)

Nowadays,

she says Adrian,

Batamoon: pants.

Pakakeeet: manicure.

Fooof: gloves.

I forgot the rest...

Now, Good night :)

Give me Lemons

Give me Lemons...

I give you Lemon cupcakes

with Lemon frosting on top ;)

The story behind these lemons, if you're interested.

I teach a student from Bangladesh. Her mom loves gardening and she loves cactus. The entrance to her house is full of so many kinds of cactus.

One day, last week, I noticed some yellow fruits among the cactus. They looked small, round and smooth. I asked her: what is that fruit?

She said: Lemons! Chinese Lemons. I will fill a bag for you!

- I'm craving lemons these days, I've been looking for lemon cupcakes everywhere, but couldn't find any!

That day, I made my first cupcakes, and they were sour :)

*If you are wondering, yes, it's my bump showing in the 1st picture...I didn't crop it, because it's a part of me :)

* Jeeej topped my cupcake with frosting in the second picture! This is how much he loves me :)

* I gained a LOT of weight last month...so...

Never mind.

My Turnip baby.

I was checking my favourite website about pregnancy and motherhood while chatting with my mom 3 days ago. I read that my baby inside is the size of a turnip.

I asked my mom: what's a turnip?
She said: I'm not sure but I think it's " لفت".

I checked it online...she was right...Turnip is لفت.

Mama: why are you asking?!
I told her why...

and then she laughed and said: you know what's funny? Tomorrow we're having stuffed turnips for lunch!

Now that was something, huh?!

I asked her to pray for me and my coming baby while having lunch :) and then I asked her to make some for me when we meet soon inshallah :)

Farmer's market became perfect!

One day, I was invited to a gathering in Cupertino. At some point, a lady asked us all one question. "What's your family's tradition?"
No lady gave an answer. "It isn't about celebrating Eid or fasting Ramadan. It shouldn't be related to religion, we are talking about traditions". She explained.

Then she said: " I was asked this question at my kid's school, and most of the parents gave amazing answers, but I couldn't. Someone answered: we go hiking every Saturday morning. another said, we make home made pizza from scratch every Sunday evening. someone else said: we celebrate half birthdays, instead of waiting all year long to celebrate it, we do it twice a year for each family member, we end up celebrating so many days during the year."

I liked the answers. I wanted to give an answer in front of everyone, but I wasn't sure about it. I wanted to say, we go to the farmer's market every weekend. but then it was only my 3rd time there with Mariyah that week, plus Jeeej was not joining us yet. He was still working during the weekend. He always encouraged me to go, even when it got colder. It feels so good to go there, spend some time outdoors and breath some fresh air surrounding fresh products.

Last Sunday, we made it!
The three or "four" of us went to the market and spent a great time there, tasting, smelling and buying goods.

We promised each other, we'll make it our family's tradition :)
I got these flowers, their smell is filling the house! Makes me melt...

and I got these tulips too...

It funny what the seller told me about taking care of them...

"use chilled water, add ice cubes if you can, and these flowers need copper, so drop some pennies in the vase".

What's your family's tradition?

Hello! It's THE weekend.

For the first time in over 3 years we lived a real weekend. We used to have the weekend on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays...but from now on, it's going to be Saturdays and Sundays.

I've been waiting for this for so long. The wait was worth it. The beach, the restaurants & the streets were all packed. It was a sunny day and I kept wondering, what's going on? Are all these people celebrating the sun after long rainy days?

Jeeej had to keep reminding me that it was THE REAL WEEKEND :)

We did so much stuff, it was great. Il hamdillah...

~Can't wait for next weekend~